Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with yeast

Mmmmm, breeeaaadddd. D'ough!

SquidLips — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:17:19 -0800

Fresh baked bread noob. What's the best way to keep fresh bread dough for 24 hours before baking? So I found an awesome recipe for some fresh bread that I would like to make rolls with for the family Thanksgiving dinner. Problem is there will be some time traveling and spending time at family B for lunch, so I can't go straight from machine to rising on the counter to oven as I'm used to.

I'd like to be able to make the dough the night before, and be able to bake it fresh the next afternoon. What's the best way to go about this? If I let it do its rising cycles, can I then refrigerate the dough overnight and on the way to dinner without affecting its quality? Or would it be better to chill the dough immediately after its done mixing and let it do its rising for the few hours it'll take to drive and make the first family visit?

I do have a timer on the bread machine, so I could set everything up to start mixing early in the AM and be ready to take out and let rise about the time we would leave, but it would sit in the car (in MN - not exactly yeast-rising temps) for the roughly 4 hours it'll probably take to drive to family A, eat/visit, and drive to family B.

Any tips on how to keep the dough? Thanks all!

Do these lederhosen make my ass look awesome?

JimmyJames — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 22:29:19 -0800

Where in the SF Bay Area should I celebrate Oktoberfest? Last year I felt like I found out about amazing Oktoberfest parties a few days after they happened. Where should (and shouldn't) I head to celebrate the most noble of drinks? Size really doesn't matter, big or small both appeal to me. Events with Oompah bands and other fun touches score bonus points.

Any good tinea versicolor remedies?

LolaGeek — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 11:02:55 -0800

I've had tinea versicolor for a couple years now, treated with prescription ointment. The ointment doesn't seem to be working anymore, and I don't know what else to do. Please help an itchy lady. Two years ago, a dermatologist diagnosed the itchy, red, scaly patch in the middle of my chest as tinea versicolor, and I started using a prescription ointment - Ciclopirox Cream 0.77% - to treat it. After several months of twice-daily application, it started clearing up slightly (was still scaly, but the redness and itchiness were mostly gone). I continued using the ointment once a day, and the patch of skin stayed about the same. A few months ago I went back to the dermatologist because I was running out of ointment, and what I had had expired (also, it was time for my mole check-up). I got a new prescription of the same ointment.

Recently, the condition has gotten much worse. The patch has grown vertically, is much redder, and much itchier. I have to make an effort not to stick my hand down my shirt and scratch my chest in public, and when I do scratch it, there's been a couple times that I broke the skin (not sure if this is because I scratched so hard, or because the skin is a different texture and therefore more fragile). I've been using the ointment twice a day, and also using Selsun Blue in the shower, but there doesn't seem to be any improvement.

I'm getting worried now, because the weather is getting warmer and my cleavage is only going to get sweatier (which seems to be the original cause of this condition). Before I go back to the dermatologist for the second time in three months, is there any other treatment I could try? If I do go back to the doctor, is there another medication or treatment I should ask about?

Also, side question: is it possible for me to spread this to other areas of my body (e.g. by drying off with a towel)?

Am I baker inside and out?

Anonymous — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 08:49:20 -0800

Systemic yeast infection? I've got an appointment lined up to check. Symptoms after the jump. YANMD, but some advice would be appreciated. A few weeks ago, I attempted to treat a suspected vaginal yeast infection (with canesten 1 day treatment), and accidentally expelled the tablet before it had had a chance to dissolve completely. The slight burning sensation has been kept under control with intermittent use of clotrimazole cream, but I've noticed a few other symptoms cropping up that concern me:

1st: around the same time I treated the infection initially, I noticed a small area of dried, cracked and sore skin on my perineum. I only noticed because it started to bleed ever so slightly any time I had a bowel movement.

2nd: Straining bowel movements have become constant. I've added lots of fiber and water to no avail. My stools look like rabbit poop, except with bigger pellets. I'm still relatively regular (once a day or so) but it feels like I'm constipated.

3rd: I have 3 cracks in the corner of my lips that haven't come close to healing in over a week. There are also a couple strange patches of dry skin on my body that aren't responding to moisturiser. (on is on my shoulder for example, and about the size of a nickel)

Could any of this be related to yeast? Is it possible that I'm just reinfecting myself through vaginal/oral sex with my husband? He's uncircumcised and I've noticed that there's a off-putting scent under his foreskin that wasn't there before a month or two ago. Even if he's showered that day, it's kind of 'funky'. If he washes immediately before, it's not such a problem.

I've been checked as recently as 3 months ago for STIs and had a pap at the same time which came back normal. We are both faithful and committed.

I'm not on birth control or any other medication, although I did go through several rounds of antibiotics for a series of UTIs back in Dec/Jan.

Am I barking up the wrong tree here? What can I do to weather the storm until my appointment next week?

throwaway email: amiyeasty@gmail.com

Girlfriend's mysterious, not-going-away pain during sex

The Dutchman — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 15:06:05 -0800

My girlfriend has had internal pain during sex since a couple weeks after we got together 5 months ago. She's been to two doctors, with multiple visits and we still don't have a solid diagnosis. History and details follow... At first, she thought it was just a yeast infection and went to see her doctor. They agreed and gave her Diflucan and a course of Monistat. That didn't seem to clear things up, so they had her repeat the same treatment which cleared up the yeast infection, but she was still having pain during intercourse and returned to her doctor. They did tests for chlamydia, gonorrhea and trichomoniasis, although they were pretty skeptical that she had any of them. As expected, none were found and they went on to treat her for bacterial vaginosis (and they said it would treat trich too, just in case) with metroconizole. This still did not alleviate the pain during intercourse.

Again, she returned to the doctor who at this point was pretty stumped and called in another doctor, who was also stumped. They gave her azithromycin for chlamydia (in case it had been a false negative, and because it was a wide-spectrum antibiotic that would possibly kill whatever it was that was bothering her). At that point, she was clear for yeast, but they had her take super-doses of acidophilus and inserting yogurt "just in case." At this point, we hadn't had sex in a month because I was traveling, so we know there was no cross-contamination. I got tested for chlamydia and gonorrhea and treated for trich, just in case. We also both got tested for HIV and we're negative.

Next, she decided to try another doctor and went to the gyn listed in New York Magazine's "Best Doctors" issue. At this point, my girlfriend also thought the yeast had come back a bit. The doctor agreed and took a yeast culture in addition to a urinary tract infection culture, pap smear and "generic" culture to see what was there. All results normal and did not show yeast. This doctor's diagnosis of the pain was that the nerves had been stimulated by an infection and even though the infection is now gone, the nerves don't realize it. She gave her a cream: Nystatin and Triamcinolone Acetonide, which is an anti-inflammatory and antifungal. That hasn't helped either.

My girlfriend and I had had (a lot) of pain-free sex for the first 2 weeks we were together, so we don't think it's an allergy to condoms, lube, etc or a just a factor of being with a new partner, and we're monogamous. The pain starts when I'm about halfway in. It seems to decrease once I'm fully inside, but doesn't go away.

She has another appointment with the New York Magazine doctor in a few days for additional cultures. In the meantime, it's been 5 months of this and we're both worried and frustrated and feel like the doctors are just throwing darts blindfolded at this point.

Does anyone have any thoughts to share? Anything you would suggest she gets tested/cultured for? Anything I should get tested for to help diagnose her? Thanks so much!

When am I gonna flush out this Thrush?

Unicorn on the cob — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 16:09:57 -0800

I was diagnosed with Oral Thrush and am being treated with Diflucan. How long before I'm back to 100% normal? Quick info: I had a bad case of bronchitis and was treated with a Z-Pack, Prednisone, and an oral steroid inhaler. Unfortunately I was sick during the busiest week of the year for me, work-wise, and my body always hates steroids (I cannot sleep EVEN with sleeping pills, get angry/cry easily, feel horrible, and generally eat too much).

The tipping point must've been eating roughly an entire bag of jelly beans last Tuesday. By Thursday, my mouth looked... scary as hell.

The doctor prescribed me 10 days of Diflucan, and this is day 5. The back half of my tongue still is kinda gross, but more importantly, has stayed in some kind of bad tasting/bad feeling stasis since roughly Saturday.

The doctor gave me no dietary restrictions or special instructions; however, as per my Internet research goes, I have tried to severely limit carbs, sugar, vinegar (all my favorite things!), and dairy (severely limit = less than or approximately 1 teaspoon or 1 serving per day of each "forbidden" thing). I've eaten at LEAST one clove of fresh garlic a day, sometimes as many as 3, often raw. Yogurt, too. I am taking acidophilus and flax seed supplements, brushing 3-4 times per day, flossing, and drinking water with fresh lemon squeezed into it.

My last dosage will be Saturday. I'm hosting a dinner-type party this Friday and am praying that my symptoms will have abated by then... so basically:

1. If you've had this, how many days before you actually had NO symptoms left? The Diflucan hurts my stomach, but I'm eating ok and have not lost weight.

2. Is there anything else I could be doing to speed this up? I've greatly increased my sleep/relaxing time, but am still doing moderate exercise (walking 3-4 miles a few times a week).

3. If I eat sugar/bread the last day of my dosage, will I sabotage the whole thing and re-infect myself? I promised my group a fabulous, sugar- and bread-laden brunch this Saturday, and am celebrating Valentine's with the gentleman caller this Saturday. It would KILL ME to not ingest any sugar. Well, kill is a strong word, but I would be seriously unhappy about it.

4. How soon can I kiss my significant other? As soon as the symptoms abate, or what? The doctor said kissing's fine as long as he's not "halfway down my throat" but I am wary.

Other factors: myself and the bf are tested HIV negative as recently as this week; I do not have any autoimmune diseases; I don't have any trouble or pain swallowing or white spots on the back of my throat; the front half of my tongue is pink and doesn't hurt and I have no fever, just a sort of general malaise feeling. Thank you!

How do I prevent yeast infections while taking antibiotics?

Anonymous — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 08:29:41 -0800

Has anyone prone to yeast infections been able to protect themselves while taking antibiotics? I want to start taking antibiotics (doxycycline) to treat my acne. It's my last resort. However, I am extremely prone to yeast infections. Will taking acidophilus supplements be enough? How much to take? I have been trying many, many routes to treat my acne, and I would now like to try doxycycline. However, a few years ago I absolutely devastated my good bacteria balance by taking a few rounds of Cipro, and I've been extremely prone to stubborn yeast infections ever since. Right now I'm clear, and I would like to stay that way.

I'm going to be taking acidophilus both orally and vaginally, but I don't know if that's enough and don't want to risk it. Has anyone had any experience doing this and succeeding at staving off the yeast?

Bread yeast

larry_darrell — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 12:51:35 -0800

Will the yeast in a loaf of bread eventually die or become inactive enough for a yeast free diet? Have to eat a yeast free diet. A local bakery told me that the yeast in a loaf of bread is inactive a few days past the expiry date. Is this true?

The Eyes Have It.

BrotherCaine — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 15:36:46 -0800

Why do diabetics intermittently get little swaths of redness at the outside corners of the eye? I've had this happen sometimes (I haven't related it to sugars yet, I'll do more logging), and I've known two other Type I diabetics who exhibit this.

identify this discharge

Anonymous — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 14:06:28 -0800

Okay, what is this? Bacterial vaginosis? yeast? Details, icky stuff, etc etc.. inside and, yes, I'm going to the doc... I have never had BV (bacterial vaginosis) that I'm aware of and this just doesn't match the yeast infections I've gotten when taking antibiotics...

I'm a nursing mother of a 1 yr old- not sure if hormonal changes could be part of the explanation.

Symptoms:

no pain
no itching
large amount of bright white, sticky, gooey discharge. does not have the particulate-ness of yeast infections I've had
faint odor (possibly unpleasant but possibly not abnormal? Let's just say different from what I'm used to- slightly sweet/ musky-ish) Not fishy or rotten smelling.

so, what is this?

one more thing: if you have ever used hydrogen peroxide, which is now being recognized by researchers as an effective remedy for bv, HOW did you use it? How much? Did you douche with it?

What to do with brewer's yeast

otherwordlyglow — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 10:31:42 -0800

What do you do with Brewer's Yeast? I have a container of Brewer's Yeast, purchased mainly because I'm told it's a somewhat effective galactagogue and since I'm breastfeeding with a low supply, I'm looking for any advantage I can get. I have a recipe for Lactation Cookies that uses Brewer's Yeast that sounds good and sprinkled some of it on my cereal this morning but what else is a good way to incorporate Brewer's Yeast into my diet? I'd especially be interested in how to cook with it (Do I just add it? Does it effect how things bake?).

Oral thrush - vaginal yeast?

crunch buttsteak — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 15:54:17 -0800

I was diagnosed today with oral thrush. How did I get it? Can I pass it orally? Other-than-orally? More inside. I've noticed there are a lot of yeast-related AskMe questions, and there seem to be a lot of yeast-knowledgeable folks here. So, here goes.

Situation:
- Earlier in the week, I noticed my tongue hurting towards the front, like a canker sore. I've gotten canker sores on my tongue before.
- Around Tuesday, I noticed the papillae (?) on the right and left corners of the tip of my tongue were somewhat elongated, and whitish at the tips. Odd. I didn't have time to go to the doctor (the medical clinic/aid station, since I am in the Marines and live on base).
- Yesterday and more so today, the papillae on the left and right tip of my tongue are elongated and white. My tongue itself, in the same place, has shallow vertical cracks that hurt, esp. when exposed to toothpaste or stuff of that nature.
- I went to the Naval Hospital today. The doctor took one glance at my tongue, declared it oral thrush, and walked out. I got his assistant to go ask him a few questions for me while he was writing up my prescription for Nystatin.

Questions and given answers:
Q: Is it contagious? A: It shouldn't be, so long as I have been using the medication consistently for about two days. Also, periodically rinse with warm salt water.
Q: Could I have gotten it from my girlfriend? Through contact with her mouth or her vagina? A: The only way to tell is if my girlfriend develops similar symptoms of oral thrush.
Q: Can I transfer it back to her? A: Again, stay consistent with the medication, and "give it a few days" to be safe.

My questions to you: Were those answers correct? I wasn't able to sit down with the doctor and actually discuss with him the relationship between the fungi that cause oral thrush and vaginal yeast infections (which are supposedly the same). I personally don't think I got it from the gf this past weekend - we've been sexually active together since last year, and this is the first occurrence of its kind.

I would likely have to schedule another appointment simply to speak to another doctor on the subject, and that might not be feasible until next week. I am seeing my girlfriend again this weekend and, getting straight to the point, we kiss, we have oral sex, and we have sex. Is this a recipe for fungal disaster?

Lastly, should she visit the OBGYN for this? What are her risks? Should she be concerned? About what?

Thanks in advance for your input. I'll be checking back often so feel free to ask followup questions.

Another Private Parts Question

jrichards — Thu, 15 May 2008 12:16:46 -0800

I'm not talking about bread... yeast question inside. I have a mild yeast infection that's been getting continually worse for a couple of days now. I keep going back and forth on how to treat it - mainly because the last time I used an OTC remedy I ended up with a bacterial infection that was WAY worse than the yeasty. (I seem to be pretty susceptible to BV, I very very rarely get yeast infections.) I've been eating plain yogurt and taking acidophilus capsules. I just bought some Yeast-Gard suppositories. Am I going down the wrong road here? I want relief STAT! What should I do?

Which drinks have the highest yeast content

Black Spring — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 10:11:45 -0800

Which alcoholic drinks contain the greatest and least amounts of yeast? I occasionally get a candida overgrowth in my stomach. I have the occasional alcoholic drink but I'd like to know which types / brands I'd be best steering clear of.

Is my sourdough starter supposed to do that?

esilenna — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 02:49:48 -0800

DumbQuestionFilter: Is my sourdough starter supposed to shrink? A couple of days ago, for the first time ever, I made a sour dough starter from a recipe I found in a book. I followed the instructions to the letter and used 375g flour, 3 tsp yeast, and 4.5dl water, all mixed well in a glass jar and then covered with a kitchen towel and left it out on the counter top. For the first 6-7 hours it grew and grew, was all bubbly, but then it collapsed to a quarter of it's largest size.

It has tiny bubbles throughout and smells a lot like beer, has a cm thick layer of goopy frothy bubbly liquid on top, so I *think* it's doing well, but is the shrinkage supposed to happen? Nothing I've read about sour dough starters mentions any collapses so I was wondering if there are any MeFites who have made their own sour dough with experiences to share?

Also, I want to use this sour dough to make sour dough no-knead bread. Any and all favourite recipes are gratefully accepted.

Stella & Guinness Brewing Yeast?

jjsonp — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 17:20:07 -0800

Beer brewing yeast to match my favorite brands? I am interested in brewing some beer. I've seen several instructionals on the internet and it seems pretty straightforward. I am in the process of gathering the necessary equipment and supplies.

I understand that the yeast variety (in addition to all the other factors of course) is key. I am looking for yeasts which will produce flavors similar to my two favorite import beers: Stella Artois and Guinness. Are the actual yeast strains used in these beers available?

Are there mitigating factors which make brewing beer similar to these styles difficult? Any special brewing tips for beers of these varieties are also appreciated. Thanks.

My anti-yeast infection diet makes me sleepy

Anonymous — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 13:42:22 -0800

I am on a no-sugar/very low-sugar diet to help combat a yeast infection. My diet consists of fish, a little bit of yogurt, good fats, and leafy greens and other non-starchy, non-sweet vegetables. Since I started it I crash every afternoon at exactly 2:00--right at the beginning of a class. How can I avoid this without resorting to coffee or high-glycemic foods? I figure there are two possible reasons for the crash: either my body isn't used to such a paucity of sugar, or I'm not eating enough meals. Usually I try to do 5 or 6 meals a day, one of them being a snack after lunch (like a energy bar or a piece of fruit). I've switched to 3 or 4 bigger meals a day (breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack) since there's no convenient way to do snacks with the foods I CAN eat, as the quantities of spinach or broccoli it would take to make enough carbs for a snack aren't easily transportable around a college campus. I'm lost.

Where can I find nutritional yeast or alternatives in the UK?

caek — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 09:18:28 -0800

Where can I get nutritional yeast in the UK? Failing that, what could I use instead? Some recipes I'm interested in making (e.g.) call for "nutritional yeast", which I've never heard of. My understanding from Googling is that is is de-activated yeast used to beef up the flavour of vegan food. Does anyone know where I might find it easily in the UK and what we call it here (which may well be "nutritional yeast" — I'm neither a vegan nor much of a cook!)? The Holland and Barrett website, which was my first thought for this sort of thing only has Brewer's Yeast.

Failing that, are there any alternatives I could use that are available in a biggish Tesco? MSG? Parmesan? I'm a vegetarian, if it makes any difference.

How to defunk my junk?

Bravely Anonymous — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 06:07:46 -0800

My man crevices smell of yeast but it's not acting like a topical yeast infection. It won't go away and the dermatologist was useless. Helllp! Gentlemen, a word please. In the creases betwixt thighs and junk there lurks a pungent aroma of what I guess is yeast. It's been going on for years now but doesn't seem to be a yeast infection. Gotta get rid of this embarassing thing as I attempt to reenter the dating pool.

I've seen threads here about foul crotch and ballstank but this isn't really a terrible smell and doesn't make my eyes water like that one poor guy. I don't have anything to compare it to, though. It might not be considered a bad smell if it came from somewhere other than my FREAKING PANTS.

Some possibly useful history: Visited NYC for a few days in the height of summer years ago. Walking everywhere and sweating. After a couple days, my taint felt raw. Pretty soon it was so bad it became a weepy lesion and I could barely walk. Neosporin didn't do much at all. Came home and the doctor said it had been a yeast infection. "On a guy?" I asked. Yep, he said. I thought you needed a mucous membrane for that but no, just a warm, moist, dark area, such as one's junkal region in NYC in summer, walking everywhere. The beasties can just live on skin. I've got maybe 25 extra lbs on me, so that makes the whole area smooshier and more rubby. Happened again a few years ago in steamy backwater Mexico. They gave me clotrimazole and it fixed it.

So those were known yeast infections, raw feeling, painful and terrible red irritation, but I noticed no smell. What I've had for a while now gives no pain or irritation or itch at all, but fingers sent down into the trenches to investigate come away with a very noticeable sweet-ish yeast smell. I don't see how that can't be yeast, but it isn't behaving like yeast.

Before you ask, I do shower daily and give it all a soapy how's-your-father. I wear boxers, fresh ones each day. No foreskin to worry about and it's not on the actual junk itself anyway. Jock itch spray and cream treatments won't banish it for more than a couple days, nor will clotrimazole cream, which is apparently the gold standard. The dermatologist said to use Zeasorb (miconazole) powder, but that didn't kill it either. And he seemed to characterize that more as daily preventive, to keep things dry, than a curative. I don't think something like Gold Bond or baby powder is up to the challenge when the heavy ordnance did nothing.

WTF?! I can't have this. It's an instant DQ in amorous situations. None of the known orifices welcome delegations thusly scented. Anybody know what it is, why I have it, and how I can get rid of it? Bless you in advance.

How to stop reoccuring yeast infections

Anonymous — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 11:45:04 -0800

I've had a yeast infection/yeast infection + bacterial vaginosis one to two weeks before my period for every month since December. I've read all the old AskMe threads and tried the home remedies on this page. I'm about ready to start scheduling a monthly appointment with the doctor to get my dose of antibiotics and buying Gynelotrimin wholesale (I'm allergic to Monistat). Help! I:
- go commando more often than is probably decent
- often wear skirts in combination with the above
- wipe with hydrogen peroxide when the itching starts
- have tried sticking yogurt, tea tree oil, hydrogen peroxide, acidophilis, and garlic in my cooter (not all at once)
- dry off with paper towels
- wash with Cetaphil
- don't take baths
- maintain a trimmed exterior
- pee/wash after sex
- take acidophilis
- cut down on sugar
- exercise regularly/sleep well
- use cotton underwear (when I wear underwear)

Given that I rarely got yeast infections before I started hormonal birth control, I'm almost positive it's due to the BC. I've tried Ortho TriCyclin Lo and now I'm on NuvaRing, and the yeast infections still come. But for convenience reasons, I would prefer to not abandon hormonal BC for condoms and don't feel ready to invest in an IUD (I'm worried about the spotting side effects).

So--short from that, is there anything, anything else I can try? I got myself waxed once and that seemed to help a little. I'm not a fan of the look, but I'm willing to do it if it produces results--has it helped anyone else?

So Much Yeast, So Little Time

maryh — Fri, 22 Jun 2007 10:40:37 -0800

What do I do with all this yeast? About 6 months ago I bought a 2 lb package of active dry yeast at Costco. (I know, who needs 2 lbs of yeast? But it's $3 for 2 lbs vs $7 or $8 for 4 ounces in a jar at the grocery...) I bake a lot of bread, but most of my recipes are for slow-rise, low yeast breads, which has left me with about a pound and a half of leftover yeast. I know the stuff becomes inactive after a while. My stash is still good. So:

1) Any additional yeast heavy recipes for me? Food, drink, science projects welcome.

2) Are there any disposal problems I should be aware of? Is it environmentally safe to toss a pound of still-active yeast into the trash?

Thanks!

Study proposal: The Effects of Mud Wrestling on the Female Urogenital Tract

limeonaire — Thu, 24 May 2007 14:02:10 -0800

How do women who mud wrestle or take regular mud baths (esp. naked, say at a spa) avoid getting mud in their, er, orifices—or do they avoid it? Would tampons be useful in preventing such an occurrence? Or is that even necessary?

And if mud is allowed into the vagina or anus, does that lead to an increased incidence of infection (whether by yeast or bacteria)? How would one go about (or, ladies, how have you gone about) preventing such resultant infections? And do spas have problems with the transmission of such infections in their mud baths?

I've found an abstract from a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association that found a greater incidence of pustular follicular dermatitis outbreaks among mud-wrestling college students (no joke) at the University of Washington in Seattle—but that doesn't speak to the question of vaginal, anal or urethral irritation stemming from prolonged mud exposure.

(And yes, this is a serious question, I promise—the topic came up during a conversation I was party to a while back about, well, vaginal irritation/infections. Fun stuff, huh?)

Why did my food explode?

dame — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 15:46:45 -0800

Why did my hummus explode? I bought hummus last weekend from Trader Joes. Garlic. No preservatives, but the sell-by date was April 11, two days after today. I brought it home and put it in the fridge. It swelled. A lot. So I stuck a knife into the thin plastic covering (the this has not been tampered with stuff) and it exploded (in my sink). Why? I mean, I assume some serious fermenting was going on, but what? And why in this case? I've had hummus a lot longer and never had this happen.

Sourdough started, now how to finish?

otherwordlyglow — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 13:40:06 -0800

Is my sourdough starter ready? I've been building a sourdough starter for the last few weeks, starting with organic rye flour and then transitioning to organic bread flour. Usually feeding once or twice a day, about a half cup each of flour and water (having dumped out an equal amount first). It smells the way I think it should (fresh, sour, kinda like fresh paint) and is nice and bubbly and is clearly doing something good but how do I know when it's ready to go? I've heard that it should rise up to double its size after feeding and it's not doing that at all though it does rise a slight bit and bubbles up. It's been about 3 weeks of minding the starter and I'm wondering how long it could possibly take......sure I know that they continue to mature and change over many many years, if you treat it well but I want sourdough bread now!! Does it matter that I'm doing a batter-style starter as opposed to a firmer dough style?

It usually sites out on my kitchen counter in a mason jar with the lid loosely closed. Once or twice when I know I won't be around for more than 24 hours, I've put it in the frig after feeding and then brought it out again when I'm back to resume a regular feeding. That doesn't seem to present any change in behavior.

Any and all tips to sourdough starter success are welcome.

Am I still infected, or am I just impatient?

Anonymous — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 14:53:42 -0800

Should I still consider myself as having a yeast infection? Last Wednesday, I was diagnosed as having a yeast infection. My doctor gave me two doses of Diflucan (150 mg) to take, and I took them as directed on Wednesday and Friday. All of the redness & soreness is gone, but I still have the discharge.

Is the pill still in my system? Does it still need time to work? Or should I consider myself "uncured?" I ask because I'm going on a trip to see my boyfriend on Thursday, and we're planning on having sex. We haven't seen each other in a while, and it would really be nice if we could go ahead. I've been trying to get in touch with my doctor to ask these questions and that has been impossible. The next appointment isn't available until after I get back from my trip, and I can't get her to leave a message for me.